Senior Application Development Project Manager

As a global logistics service provider, Katoen Natie combines engineering, technology and port operations to offer worldwide, tailor-made solutions to the chemical and automotive industries, and to the consumer goods, electronics & retail sector. Katoen Natie has 181 logistic platforms and is active in more than 40 countries all over Europe, North America, South America and the Far East with a staff of more than 18.000 people.

Our global IT team is looking for a Senior & hands on Application Development Project Manager. You will be responsible for the Project Management focusing on several Projects within our entire Application Development landscape. You will manage the key stakeholders within the Katoen Natie business, the resources, program & project schedules, the budget and adhere to stage gate quality and control guidelines throughout the full setup/implementation of the solutions/systems related to your assigned projects, following a strict milestone driven planning. This also includes management of issues, risks, and project change requests to ensure successful and on-time project delivery. Contribute to process improvement initiatives as it relates to improving project delivery.

The Senior Project Manager has the authority to run different projects on a day-to-day basis with a strong hands on approach. Verify that the projects produce the required deliverables of quality, within the specified constraints of time and cost and to achieve the potential benefits defined in the business case. He or she will strongly collaborate with several people (Technical specialists, Solution Architecture, System Support, etc.) within the IT department to ensure delivery of the defined scope.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage the implementation of one or more Application Development projects, strongly supporting the Katoen Natie business in achieving their goals.
• Strongly collaborate with all ‘Key’ stakeholders, both within business & IT.
• Steer the different projects to ensure delivery of all defined deliverables in the different milestones of all assigned projects.
• Identify, analyse & mitigate all risks & issues related to your assigned projects, strongly collaborating with all IT and business stakeholders.
• Analyze and improve business processes or methodologies when needed, in close collaboration with Key Users & Business Leaders.
• Provide on-site leadership for project team by building and motivating team members to meet project goals, adhering to their responsibilities and project milestones

• Defining resource requirements and managing resource availability & allocation – both internal and third party. Escalation towards business and/or IT management when needed to guarantee continuity on delivery.
• Full project life cycle ownership for each assigned project: successful project delivery will include full implementation from initiation to deployment for the different applications developed.
• Managing and adjusting for any changes in project scope, schedule and/or budget based on input from all Stakeholders & Project members.
• Define and report on project success criteria results, metrics, test, and deployment management activities throughout the project life cycle
• Work creatively and analytically in a problem-solving environment demonstrating teamwork, innovation, and excellence
• Oversee the management of the day-to-day project activities and resources and chairs the steerco (if applicable) & project meetings according to the defined Project Governance.
• Understand and manage interdependencies together with the Enterprise Architecture team.
• Manage ongoing quality control and participate in quality issue resolution

• Develop and manage all aspects of project engagement from planning (based on a detailed WBS – Work Breakdown Structure), external vendor relationships, communications, resources, budget, change, risks, and issues
• Ensure delivery of progress reports, analyses of results, and troubleshoot problem areas, make proposals, requirements documentation and presentations to various audiences, including project team, sponsors, Head of IT, and key stakeholders

Knowledge and Skills:

• Knowledge and experience of project management methodologies is essential (PRINCE2, PMP, etc..). Certification is a plus, however no must.
• Strong knowledge in Application development
• Strong hands on leadership, diplomatic and motivational skills including the ability to lead mixed teams of business & IT people.

• Ability to manage several projects simultaneously
• Technically competent with various software programs, including but not limited to Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio), Microsoft Projects, Devops.
• Proven ability to work creatively and analytically in a problem-solving environment demonstrating teamwork, innovation, and excellence
• Excellent communication (written, verbal and presentation) and interpersonal skills with technical and non-technical staff and mainly all levels of management.
• Self-motivated, decisive, with the ability to adapt to change and competing demands
• Experience drafting and submitting budget proposals and recommending subsequent budget changes where necessary
• Experience in successfully leading projects to on-time, on-schedule and within budget close, following a clear supporting methodology
• Proven success in providing on site leadership for project team by building and motivating team members to meet project goals, adhering to their responsibilities and project milestones, however with a strong hands-on approach.
• Experience working both independently and, in a team, -oriented, collaborative environment
• Flexible with proven ability to conform to shifting priorities, demands and timelines through analytical and problem-solving capabilities

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in appropriate field of study or equivalent work experience
• 10+ years of project/program management experience within the area Application Development
• Project implementations (full project Lifecycle)
• Intermediate level of proficiency with MS Project, Excel, Visio, PowerPoint, and SharePoint with experience presenting to stakeholders and / or Senior Leadership
• Proven ability to work in an ambiguous environment and collaborate across multiple areas in order to achieve a common business objective
• Willing to travel on an ad hoc basis, depending on the assigned projects